Obituary for Albert Emmett McKinney
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Al McKinney.
Al was the beloved husband of Jill McKinney (Macpherson) for 55 years, brother to Bill, Ted, and Frank, loving father to Jo-Anne, Laurie, Scott and Chris, brother-in-law to Sue, father-in-law to Laurie , Liz, and Jeff and very proud grandfather to Matthew, Savannah, Samantha, Shea, Emmett, Liam and Harrison.
Born and raised in Montreal, QC, Al was an excellent athlete. He loved hockey and played until he was 80 years old with the Westlake Olejox, and as a young man, played Junior hockey for the Montreal Junior Royals. In 1959, Al played for the Lakeshore Alouette Flyers and helped them win the Canadian Junior Football Championships. Al was an avid handball player throughout his life and played at the Montreal Athletic Club as a young man. Al loved to ski and was an integral organizing member of the Martian Ski Club at Mount St. Sauveur- and also where Al met Jill. This chance meeting led to 55 years of marriage, 4 children and a lifetime of friends, memories, and adventures at Brome Lake, Glen Mountain and beyond.
Al has a special connection to the development of the hockey mask first worn by Montreal Canadiens legend Jacques Plante in 1959. Al’s face was used as the mold for the first prototype of that goalie mask. This story was first published by Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette in March, 2006 and more recently by the NHL.com in 2019. The prototype of that mold now resides with the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, ON.
In addition to owning and running his Life Insurance business, Al was actively involved in volunteer and charity work with the NDG Chapter of the Kinsmen and even served as President for a time. For 25 years, Al was a key fundraiser and organizer with the annual Loyola High School Sports Tournament and in 2004 was named Chairperson and recognized at the opening ceremonies for his many contributions over the years.
After his wife Jill’s passing in 2017, Al moved from Montreal to Pemberton, BC, where he enjoyed mountain life with his family. In only a few short years, Al made so many new friends and integrated into that community incredibly well. Al was actively involved in the Pemberton Valley Men’s Shed Society - a program that works on community projects in and around the town of Pemberton.
Al will always be remembered as a fun loving, social person throughout his entire life. He truly loved being with his family and also loved meeting with friends or just saying ‘hello’ to a complete stranger while walking. Al loved being part of the greater community and his 4 years in Pemberton exemplified this, in addition to his contributions to Montreal life for 86 years prior. Al was kind, generous and well liked wherever he went. He will be sadly missed.
Thank you to the staff at Lions Gate Hospital, Squamish General Hospital and to the Pemberton Community Care team at the very end. We are very grateful for the care you provided to our father. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ovarian Cancer Canada.
https://www.nhl.com/news/jacques-plante-mask-mold-in-hockey-hall-of-fame/c-305427502
https://www.dww.com/articles/canadian-inventions-%E2%80%93-hockey-goalkeeper-mask
Al was the beloved husband of Jill McKinney (Macpherson) for 55 years, brother to Bill, Ted, and Frank, loving father to Jo-Anne, Laurie, Scott and Chris, brother-in-law to Sue, father-in-law to Laurie , Liz, and Jeff and very proud grandfather to Matthew, Savannah, Samantha, Shea, Emmett, Liam and Harrison.
Born and raised in Montreal, QC, Al was an excellent athlete. He loved hockey and played until he was 80 years old with the Westlake Olejox, and as a young man, played Junior hockey for the Montreal Junior Royals. In 1959, Al played for the Lakeshore Alouette Flyers and helped them win the Canadian Junior Football Championships. Al was an avid handball player throughout his life and played at the Montreal Athletic Club as a young man. Al loved to ski and was an integral organizing member of the Martian Ski Club at Mount St. Sauveur- and also where Al met Jill. This chance meeting led to 55 years of marriage, 4 children and a lifetime of friends, memories, and adventures at Brome Lake, Glen Mountain and beyond.
Al has a special connection to the development of the hockey mask first worn by Montreal Canadiens legend Jacques Plante in 1959. Al’s face was used as the mold for the first prototype of that goalie mask. This story was first published by Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette in March, 2006 and more recently by the NHL.com in 2019. The prototype of that mold now resides with the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, ON.
In addition to owning and running his Life Insurance business, Al was actively involved in volunteer and charity work with the NDG Chapter of the Kinsmen and even served as President for a time. For 25 years, Al was a key fundraiser and organizer with the annual Loyola High School Sports Tournament and in 2004 was named Chairperson and recognized at the opening ceremonies for his many contributions over the years.
After his wife Jill’s passing in 2017, Al moved from Montreal to Pemberton, BC, where he enjoyed mountain life with his family. In only a few short years, Al made so many new friends and integrated into that community incredibly well. Al was actively involved in the Pemberton Valley Men’s Shed Society - a program that works on community projects in and around the town of Pemberton.
Al will always be remembered as a fun loving, social person throughout his entire life. He truly loved being with his family and also loved meeting with friends or just saying ‘hello’ to a complete stranger while walking. Al loved being part of the greater community and his 4 years in Pemberton exemplified this, in addition to his contributions to Montreal life for 86 years prior. Al was kind, generous and well liked wherever he went. He will be sadly missed.
Thank you to the staff at Lions Gate Hospital, Squamish General Hospital and to the Pemberton Community Care team at the very end. We are very grateful for the care you provided to our father. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ovarian Cancer Canada.
https://www.nhl.com/news/jacques-plante-mask-mold-in-hockey-hall-of-fame/c-305427502
https://www.dww.com/articles/canadian-inventions-%E2%80%93-hockey-goalkeeper-mask